


Open Door

by femmenoire



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-13
Updated: 2014-11-13
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:42:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/femmenoire/pseuds/femmenoire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Wests take Barry in, Iris smoothes the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Door

She always understood too much. At least that’s what her mother used to say.

No matter how they’d tried to shield her from grown folks’ business somehow she’d always find out. She’d always know. 

So before they ever agreed to take Barry in, Iris had started cleaning out the spare bedroom. She moved her old games and Joe’s golf clubs (that he hadn’t used since she was in training pants) to the basement and her mother’s extra yarn to the front closet for easy access. Iris had half the room clear before anyone realized what she was doing. 

She also took control of decorating Barry’s new room. Green, not blue. Polka dots, not stripes. Room for his terrarium on the window sill. An extra bookshelf because he read a lot. 

“A lot dad,” she said seriously. 

No one was sure how to treat him that first night. It wasn’t like he was a guest really. It was’t even like he hadn’t spent the night before. But that night was the first night of... How many? For how long? 

“Forever,” Joe overheard Iris telling her dolls. 

Even Barry was unsure of what to say and do. He’d kept his jacket on through dinner and seemed to have forgotten where the bathroom located.

The only person who behaved normally was Iris. She talked (and talked and talked) all through dinner. She made sure that her mother had Barry’s favorite ice cream for dessert (mint chocolate chip). She made a big show of letting Barry “borrow” her spare nightlight (something she always did when he slept over). 

Joe was more proud of her that night than he could have imagined. (And he was ALWAYS proud of Iris.)

Someone who didn’t know Iris might have thought she was behaving like... well a child, considering that her best friend’s mother had just been murdered by his father. Some people might have treated Barry with kid gloves. But Iris knew better. 

“He needs us,” she’d told Joe while helping to make Barry’s bed. “He needs us to remind him that everything will be ok.” 

Barry went to bed soon after dinner. Iris stayed up a bit later to do her homework (or more accurately check her math answers against Barry’s worksheet).  
Eventually she brushed her teeth and went to bed followed soon by her mother. Then Joe an hour later. He was just settling into bed when he heard Barry’s yell. He ran down the hall fast, his heart pumping in fear. 

But he wasn’t fast enough to beat her. 

“It’s ok, Barry.” Iris was kneeling next to Barry’s bed. Joe could see their small hands grasping each other in the glow of the nightlight. He could hear Barry trying to suppress the soft whining that was a clear indicator of a nightmare. 

“It’s ok, Barry,” she said again. “Don’t worry. I’m here.” 

Joe stood just out of sight and listened as Barry’s breathing slowed, the silence almost as terrifying as Barry’s cry. 

After a while Iris said, her voice soft at first. “So... I was looking over your math homework before bed. Are you sure about problem number six?”

“Iris,” Barry replied, his voice weak at first. “You’ve got to stop copying my homework. Mrs. Evans is onto you.”

“You think she’s onto me. But I get just enough answers wrong to keep her off my scent.”

“You think.”

“I know,” Iris replied triumphantly. 

Joe would handle her cheating tomorrow. Tonight he backed away slowly, the sound of Barry and Iris’ soft chatter giving him hope that maybe she was right. Maybe everything really would turn out alright.

**Author's Note:**

> Soundtrack: You+Me "Open Door"


End file.
